Cast-steel vestibule-frame.



G. L. WALL.

CAST STEEL VESTIBULE-FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19. 1914.

Patented May 4, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

' THE NORRIS PEI'ER5 CG. PHOTO-L-ITHOU WASHINGTDN- D- C.

a. L. WALL. CAST STEEL VESTIBULE FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- l9| I914.

1,1 38,028. Patentd May 4, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C

GEORGE L. WALL, or LIMA, onro, ASSIGNOR 'I'OLIMA LocoMoTIvE CORPORATION, or LIMA, OHIO, A COBJPORA'IION or onto.

CAST-STEEL VESTIBULE-FBAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application filed December 19, 191%. Ser al No. 878,018.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. WALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1103 West High street, Lima, county of Allen, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cast- Steel vestibule-Frames, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to an improved vestibule attachment for application to the end of a tender, a tank-car, or any car-body having a closed end, and the object of the invention is to furnish a construction of caststeel in as few parts as possible, so as to simplify the construction of the vestibule, its handling in the manufactory, and also to facilitate its application to or removal from the end of a car. To effect this object, the vestibule-frame is formed with two sideplates of cast-steel in one piece with crossbars connected to the same, and with flanges for connecting the foot and top of the vestibule to the car. This one-piece structure is, when applied to the end of a tank upon a tender or tank-car, supported atv the lower end by connection to the end-sill, and at the upper end by brackets attached to the top of the tank. Heretofore, the frame of such vestibules has been made of separate parts secured together, and the manufacture of such a vestibule-frame in one piece of caststeel cheapens the construction and reduces the cost of securing it to the end of the car.

The side-plates of the cast-steel frame are made with upright flanges at their inner edges to bear upon the end of the car-body, tender or tank; and with flanges at their outer edges to oppose the rubbing-plate which is supported yieldingly upon the outer edge of such a vestibule-frame. Integral cross-ties connect the inner edges of the side-plates, and may be constructed to bear upon the end of the car-body or tender, but the flanges upon the outer edges of the side-bars (which project beyond the end sill of the car or tender) are preferably con nected with an integral cross-bar at the top only, and the flanges upon such outer edges may also be connected by separate auxiliary ties bolted at their ends thereto. Such construction facilitates the casting of the integralparts in one piece.

As this integral cast-steel vestibule-frame is adapted for attachment to various kinds of cars, including a tank-car and a locomotive tender, I have used the term car in a an adjacent passenger-car, with a vestibule attachment upon the tender.

In Figs. 1 to 8, A designates the sides of the car-frame, and B its end-sill.

A. cylindrical tank C with convex end C is shown supported upon the end sill by lugs D, and the-top of the tank is shown provided with two parallel brackets E which extend a little beyond the corner of the convex tank-head C. The side-plates F of the vestibule-frame are shown extended from the sill B to the top of the brackets E, and each is provided with a curved upright flange F to bear against the curved head of the tank, and near the top with vertical flanges G which are fitted to flanges D upon the outer ends of the brackets, and are bolted thereto. The vestibule is thus supported by its upper and lower ends. Cross-bars H are formed integral with the side-plates intermediate to the top and bottom, and curved to bear against the convex end of the head C. The outer edges of the side-plates are formed with flanges F which are united at the top by an integral crossbar F and at the bottom by a detachable tie B. The lower ends of the side-plates are provided with transverse feet F to fit against the end sill B, to be bolted thereto. The flanges F project beyond the outer side of the sill to support the rubbing-plate I, which is in practice mounted yieldingly upon the flanges F but the yielding connections of the rubbing-plate are not shown, as such plate forms no part vestibule-frame thereto and to the sill near supported Without loolting to the headwC' of the tank, Which would involve great risk of leakage; but the contact of the flanges F With the head of the tank relieves the connections of all strains in case of collision;

The brackets E are secured upon the top of the tank in a line with the side-plates F of the vestibule, and a sheet-metal roof-plate J is shown extended over the tops of the brackets and the tops of the vestibule side-plates to the outer cfoss har' F thus forming a hood which Wholly covers the top of thevestibuleffame; Such a hood Wholly inelos es the interior of the vestibule and shuts off tramps; train-thieves, &c. from access to'any ear c'onnected therewith; V v

Fig. 4' shows in plan the vestibule-frame applied to the fiat'r'ea'r end of a locomotive tender M, and its rubbing-plate I fitted against that of a vestibule K upon the end of a passenger-car L'. e p 7 Where the vestibule-frame is fitted against a flat surface like the rear 'end of atender, the flanges F are necessarily made vertical to contact With the end of the tender-tank; but the frame is held in place entirely by bolting to the fear sill ofthe' tender. and to the rear ends of brackets D upon the top of the same, as already described. Such a vertical'dispositioh of the inner edge of the vestibule-plates adapts them to hear against the closed end of car-'hody as Well as the rear end of a tender.- 7

Where attached to the end of w pasmgercar, the vestibule-frame cannot heconnected' to the car-body intermediate to its upper v and lovver ends without obstructing the passa eway through the vestibn e, and it is equally true, in the application of vestibule to the rear ehd of a locomotive-teiider, that it is undesirable to connect the vestibule-frame to the same at any points except its ends; as the jarring of the vestibiileframe would produce leaks if riveted to the tenlder-tank.

My vestibule-frame is therefore formed at the bottom with means for attaching it rigidly to the end sill of the car, and at the top with means for attaching it to a bracket secured upon the top of the tank, Where leak- V 001516; of this patent me? be obta'iiid m age could not occur. It canthus be removed at any time by merely detaching theholtings.

From the above description itwill be understood that "the invention comprises 'a vestibule-frame which is complete in itself, and does not require to be built piecemeal upon the car; and When secured upon'the from the car Whenever required, by detachmeht from the brackets D.

Having thus set forth the nature of the inventioh What is claimed herein is:

1; A vestibule attachment for a car having a tank, consisting of a unitary casting having side-plates projected from the tank beyond the end of the car-frame, with upright flanges upon the inner edges of the sideplates to fit against said tank anld having integral crossbars connecting the side- }ilates, means for attaching the foot of the vestibule casting to the end sill of the car, and side brackets upon the top of the tank With connection from the outer ends'of the v same-to the inner edges of the side-frames,

of the vestibule are disconnected from the rear end of thetank.

2. A vestibule attao having side-plates provided With upright flanges to bear against the end of the car tank, integral cross-bars connecting the inneredg'es of the side-plates,- detachable ties connecting the outer edges of the side-plates,

' 'ent'for a tank-car or tender, consisting of a unitary casting means the foot for attachment to the end sill of the car, means at the top for eon-= nection to brackets upon the tank, substan tially as and for the purpose set forth;

Intesti-mony whereof I have Witnesses.

7 GEORGE L. WALL.

Witnesses: I I

L; WR'ieH'T, VI. W;

hereunto set i handin the presence of two subscribing five cents-each, by addressing, the eonimissfioner of Patents, I Washington, 1);.0. a v 

